Known for her LGBTQ manga, Shimura delivers again with Sweet Blue Flowers. The story begins with Akira Okudaira starting at Fujigaya Girls Academy and becoming reacquainted with her childhood friend, Fumi Manjome. Unbeknownst to Akira, Fumi is still reeling from the discovery that her first love, a female cousin, is getting married. Due to the unconventionality of the relationship, Fumi struggles with her sexual identity until she meets Yasuko Sugimoto, who helps her to realize that she's a lesbian. Fumi worries about whether coming out will cause her to lose Akira, her closest friend. The story navigates between the two girls intermittently, offering a glimpse into their separate thoughts in shared situations. Through the continuous theme of the school's performance of Wuthering Heights, Shimura's manga explores love, loss, and the importance of friendship, while the cutesy artwork nicely balances the somewhat heavy material. This sweet, well-illustrated coming-of-age story is suitable for young adults questioning their own sexuality or wondering how to better support a friend.

Gr 10 Up-These collected first volumes of Shimura's manga tell an honest, poignant story about the joys, pains, and loves of gay and bisexual young women. Fumi Manjoume moves back to her hometown with her family after being away for several years. She's troubled because her first love recently married, but she reconnects with her old best friend, Akira Okudaira, who allows Fumi to be herself and helps ease her pain. During her first days at her new, all-girls school, Fumi falls for a popular, beautiful third-year senior, Yasuko Sugimoto, and the two begin dating. Shimura's art varies depending on the mood of the scene. During comedic moments, the designs lean toward the exaggerated, but during important dramatic scenes, Shimura adds layers of appealing detail. Since these shifts occur only during high points, they will be comfortably familiar to fans of anime romances such as the webcomic Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun and "Toradora!" At first, characters may seem a bit archetypal, but Shimura's deft pen crafts unique human beings from what appear to be genre staples. While the initially brisk pace may be off-putting, readers who acclimate themselves to the narrative's rhythms will find LGBTQ+ characters to root for. VERDICT A no-brainer for yuri (manga focusing on lesbian romance) fans, but strong enough to recommend to romance readers and general manga enthuisasts. Chuck Hodgin, Belmont University, Nashville